Under-water viewing device



Sept. 13, 1955 H. T. BACKHOUSE UNDER-WATER VIEWING DEVICE Filed June 24, 1952 A-rraR'lusys United States Patent UNDER-WATER VIEWING DEVICE Headley Townsend Backhouse, Fort Charlotte Heights, Nassau, Bahamas Application June 24, 1952, Serial No. 295,318

Claims. (Cl. 9-21) The invention relates to inflatable mattresses for floating on water and more especially, but not exclusively, mattresses of the kind constructed of rubberised sheet material in the form of one or more bags arranged for inflation so that the mattress will float. It is an object of the invention to provide such a mattress with means for facilitating under water viewing, for example, to enable the bottom of the sea to be examined. More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide a mattress of the above kind with means whereby an area free from ripples may be formed on the surface of the water so that under water viewing is facilitated. A further object is to provide such an area of smooth surface within the compass of the mattress and at a position convenient to a person lying on the mattress.

The invention provides, in one of its forms, an inflatable mattress for floating on water characterised by a throughway transverse to the plane of the mattress, through which a person lying on the mattress may make observations of scenery or phenomena beneath the surface ofthe water.

The invention also provides an inflatable mattress for floating on water having a throughway transverse to the plane of the mattress and a transparent window in the throughway.

The throughway may have a cross-sectional dimension greater than the normal separation of a persons eyes and be adjacent one end of the mattress whereby a person lying face down on the mattress may look through to the underside of the mattress with both eyes.

It is preferred that the throughway has walls extending at least to the level of the underside of the mattress. The walls may be constituted, at least in part, by a tube (e. g., of flexible material) and this tube may extend below the level of the under face of the mattress.

It is a feature of one form of the invention that the position of the window along the length of the tube is adjustable.

The invention includes a buoyant pillow having means for attachment to one end of the buoyant mattress, having a throughway and having a transparent window in the throughway. Such a pillow enables the features of the present invention to be added to an existing mattress.

The mattress or the separate pillow may have means for supporting the head of a person looking through the throughway.

Some specific constructions of mattresses and a separate pillow according to the invention are illustrated in the drawings and will now be described. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a mattress according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line IIII of the mattress shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end view of the mattress shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a section to an enlarged scale of a portion of a modified construction of the mattress;

Figure 5 is a plan of another form of mattress;

2,717,399 Patented Sept. 13, 1955 Figure 6 is a section on the line VI--VI in Figure 5, and

Figure 7 shows a pillow for attachment to an existing mattress.

Figures 1-3 illustrate the application of the invention to a well-known form of inflatable mattress. The mattress consists of a body portion 1 and integral therewith a pillow 2. Both parts are constructed of rubberised sheet material and are inflatable. The body part is constructed of four tube-like sections.

In accordance with the present invention the pillow is formed with a throughway 3 of which the walls are formed by a tube 4 of the flexible rubberised sheet material. The throughway has a diameter of about 8-10 inches. Secured within the throughway at or near the lower end thereof there is a transparent window 5 of glass or transparent plastic material. The upper surface of the pillow is recessed as indicated at 6 to enable a person lying face downwards on the mattress to rest his forehead on the portion 7 of the pillow without obstruction to his nose and mouth.

In use, when the mattress is floating on water the water rises into the throughway, usually up to the lower face of the window, and the surface of the water so encompassed is smooth and free from ripples. Further, the surface of the water is shaded from light reflections and a person looking down through the throughway is enabled to see into the water. In the case for example where the mattress is floating on shallow sea water it may even be possible to see the sea bed.

Figure 4 shows a modified construction of the arrangement described above. In this modification the glass or plastic window 5 is carried at the end of a tube 10 of flexible sheet material which is slidable within the tube 3 to adjust the height of the window. The tube 10 is provided with tapes which may be tied to tapes 12 secured to the pillow to hold the tube 10 in its position of adjustment.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the application of the invention to an inflatable mattress which is without a pillow section. In this construction the body of the mattress is formed with a throughway 15 near one end thereof, the walls of the throughway being provided by a tube 16 which, in this example, extends below the lower face of the mattress. A transparent window 17 is secured within the tube. The mattress is provided with an upstanding headrest 18.

Figure 7 shows a pillow 20 which is constructed as a separate unit to be attached by tapes 21 to an existing mattress 22 whereby the features of the invention may be added to such an existing mattress. The pillow is otherwise similar to that shown in Figures 1-3.

In each of the above examples the window may be made removable.

I claim:

1. An inflatable mattress for floating on water having a throughway with flexible walls transverse to the plane of the mattress through which a person lying face down on the mattress may look through to the underside of the mattress, and a transparent window at a low level in said throughway, said mattress having a resilient portion inflatable therewith and extending above the level of the window and adjacent to the throughway upon which portion a person may rest his forehead with his face held thereby above the window while looking downwards through to the underside of the mattress.

2. An inflatable mattress as claimed in claim 1 in which the throughway has walls constructed at least in part by a tube which extends below the level of the under face of the mattress.

3. An inflatable mattress as claimed in claim 1 in which the position of the window along the length of the throughway is adjustable.

4. An inflatable mattress for floating on water comprising a body portion composed of a plurality of inflatable tube-like parts secured side by side and an inflatable pillow extending transversely of the body portion beyond one end thereof, the pillow having a throughway transverse to the plane of the mattress and a transparent window in the throughway at a level below the upper surface of the pillow, whereby the inflatable pillow surface serves as a headrest.

5. A buoyant, inflatable, pillow having means for attachment to one end of a buoyant mattress, a throughway and a transparent window in the throughway at a level below the upper surface of the pillow, whereby the inflatable pillow surface serves as a headrest.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gunderson et al -a June 10, 1930 Houghton Jan. 19, 1937 Knight Mar. 30, 1937 I-Iurt Feb. 20, 1945 Horton July 3, 1945 Damsch Dec. 30, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain of 1914 Italy Apr. 2, 1948 France Aug. 20, 1951 

